But critics said Monday the Federal Aviation Administration is tossing out some of the best candidates because of new hiring rules that go into effect Tuesday.

Those rules don't count previous experience and training in air traffic control school.

"They are now hiring from what we call 'off the street,'" said Scott Miller, an aeronautics professor at Sacramento City College.

It means "that any candidate who happens to be a U.S. citizen can apply. A high school diploma is not a requirement to become an air traffic controller," Miller said.

Miller told KCRA 3 that about 60 of his students who graduated have been told to reapply for jobs with the FAA, despite their specialized schooling.

Students in the College Training Initiative program said they were upset by the new rules.

"It's really kind of watering down our chances (of) getting what we worked hard for," said Kerry Nuncio, a Sacramento City College student.

"It's a little disappointing, thinking of all the training that we're going to be going through and how hard we've been working," Sacramento City College student Stella Cordova added.

Air traffic controllers are forced to retire at age 56, so the FAA must replace 10,000 of them in the next 10 years.

The FAA says it's trying to eliminate barriers to equal employment opportunities to create a more diverse work force.

"Completing work in a CTI program does not guarantee employment with the FAA," said Ian Gregor, a public affairs manager for the FAA, in a statement to KCRA 3. "However, the agency considers education and aviation experience in the hiring process."

The new rules allow for a combination of education and work experience that totals three years in any field.

"To me, I just worry about safety," said one passenger from Huntington Beach at Sacramento International Airport.

"That doesn't seem like a very realistic idea," said Mike Hershey, a traveler from Utah. "It seems like the folks who have experience in aviation should have the right to those jobs."

The National Air Traffic Controllers Association sent in a statement saying, "We have always maintained that the FAA should hire the most qualified candidates."

THE BIG EFFORT IS FILLED AGAINST TRANSGENDER STUDENTS. WHO IS IN CONTROL? THE FAA RELAXES THE REQUIREMENTS FOR PEOPLE TO BECOME AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS. WHY PEOPLE WHO FLY ARE CONCERNED. I JUST WORRY ABOUT SAFETY. TONIGHT, WE ASKED THE QUESTION, WHO IS IN CONTROL OF THE SKIES? THOUSANDS OF JOBS ARE OPENING UP. CRITICS ARE SAYING THAT THE FAA IS TOSSING OUT COME -- SOME OF THE BEST CANDIDATES. LIVE AT THE AIRPORT TO SHOW US WHAT THE CONTROVERSY IS ABOUT. NO DOUBT ABOUT IT. IT IS A VERY TOUGH JOB WORKING INSIDE THESE CONTROL TOWERS. STARTING RIGHT NOW, THE NEW APPLICANTS WILL FIND IT MUCH EASIER TO GET IN BECAUSE OF NEW HIRING PRACTICES AND RULES THAT DO NOT COUNT PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE. MAKE VISUAL APPROACH. HE IS LEARNING ABOUT AVIATION, BUT HE WILL NOT HAVE A SAFE LANDING WHEN HE GRADUATES FROM AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER SCHOOL. THAT IS BECAUSE THE FAA HIRING STANDARDS HAVE CHANGED. THEY ARE NOW HIRING FROM OFFSTREET, INNING THAT ANY CANDIDATE WHO HAPPENS TO BE A U.S. CITIZEN CAN APPLY. A HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA IS NOT A REQUIREMENT TO BECOME AN AIR-TRAFFIC CONTROLLER. ABOUT 60 OF HIS STUDENTS WHO GRADUATED HAVE BEEN TOLD TO REAPPLY FOR JOBS DESPITE THEIR SPECIALIZED SCHOOLING. STUDENTS IN THIS COLLEGE TRAINING INITIATIVE ROW GRAHAM -- PROGRAM TELL US THEY ARE DISAPPOINTED. IT WATERS DOWN OUR CHANCES OF GETTING WHAT WE WORK HARD FOR. THE FAA HAS TO REPLACE 10,000 IN THE NEXT 10 YEARS. THE FAA IS TRYING TO ELIMINATE VARIOUS EQUAL IMPORTANT -- EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES TO CREATE A MORE DIVERSE WORKPLACE. THE FAA SAYS COMPLETING WORK IN THE CTI PROG RAM DOES NOT GUARANTEE EMPLOYMENT. THE AGENCY CONSIDERS EDUCATION AND AVIATION EXPERIENCE IN THE HIRING PROCESS. THE NEW RULES ALLOW FOR ACCOMMODATION THAT TOTALS THREE YEARS IN ANY FIELD, PROMPTING THIS REACTION FROM PASSENGERS. I JUST WORRY ABOUT SAFETY. THAT DOES NOT SEEM LIKE A VERY REALISTIC IDEA. IT SEEMS LIKE FOLKS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCE IN AVIATION SHOULD HAVE A RIGHT TO THOSE JOBS. THE NATIONAL AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS ASSOCIATION TOLD US WE HAVE ALWAYS MAINTAINED THAT THE FAA SHOULD HIRE THE MOST ALL OF FIVE CANDIDATES. NATIONWIDE, THERE ARE ABOUT 3000 STUDENTS WHO GRADUATED FROM THOSE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL SCHOOLS AND THEY HAVE A TWO-YEAR DEGREE. UNDER THE NEW RULES, IT WILL NOT HELP THEM FIND A JOB IN ANY WAY. WE ARE TALKING ABOUT A LOT OF NEW RULES. WHAT DO THOSE DUE TO THE PROGRAM AT SACRAMENTO IMMUNITY COLLEGE? ABOUT 60 OF THEM GRADUATED FROM THE PROGRAM WHICH BEGAN AROUND FOUR YEARS AGO. THE CONCERN IS THAT NOW THEY WILL NOT BE ABLE TO GO TO SCHOOL